Within
by MizuMiko
Summary: During a fight between Inu-Yasha and Sess, Kag's true powers are revealed
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she keeps him locked in her basement.  
  
********************************************************************** "Bring him back."  
  
She spoke the words calmly, no emotion showing in her voice. She was kneeling on the ground, legs tucked under her, head bowed, not even looking at him.  
  
"Bring him back."  
  
Beside her lay Inu-Yasha. His dead eyes stared blankly up at them and his head was tilted to the side. His mouth was slightly open, as if he had been trying to get one last breath out before he died.  
  
Sesshoumaru observed them with mild interest. They made quite a tragic picture really. The girl, her clothes torn, face dirtied, kneeling over his half-brother who even in death had a poignant look on his face.  
  
He hadn't really thought that he was going kill Inu-Yasha that night. It was almost an accident really. They had come across each other in the forest and started fighting as usual. The girl had watched from the sidelines as she always did.  
  
During the course of the battle though, a lesser demon had come upon them and, attracted by the shards the girl held, attacked her. She screamed, distracting Inu-Yasha for just a split second. As he turned to check on her, Sesshoumaru's sword had come down, slicing across his neck. Inu- Yasha's eyes had gone wide with shock at the cut and he quickly fell to the ground, grasping his throat. The lesser demon, observing the immense power of Sesshoumaru, decided that the shards were not worth his life and vanished into the forest.  
  
The girl had rushed over to the hanyou as soon as the lesser demon released her. She collapsed on the ground beside him, tears running down her checks. She grabbed his hand and whispered words of encouragement to him. He had looked up at her, smiled and then his eyes went blank, as if he were seeing past her. She watched his face as the life slipped out of his body.  
  
She had stayed like that for a moment. Crying and holding his hand. Gradually though, her tears subsided and her breathing steadied. It was then that she made her demand.  
  
"Bring him back."  
  
She looked up at him this time when she said it, her eyes hard and intense.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked back at her, his cold golden eyes unreadable.  
  
Who did she think she was really, ordering him around like that? He hadn't planned on killing Inu-Yasha tonight but he had planned on it eventually and now that the little annoyance was gone, he had other things to tend to.  
  
"I know you can bring him back. You've done it before, with that girl. I know you can."  
  
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her and then abruptly turned and began to walk away. He heard her stand up as he did.  
  
"Don't you dare walk away! Don't you dare! He's your brother, dammit! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"  
  
He stopped. Not because of her words, but because of a change in her aura.  
  
"You're pathetic! He's your own brother and you're going to let him die!"  
  
It was getting stronger. Slowly, cautiously, Sesshoumaru turned and his eyes widened at the sight before him.  
  
She was glowing. A soft pink haze surrounded her, growing more vivid by the second. He could feel her anger increase as he stared at her. Her eyes began to water and her fists clenched. The wind blew her hair wildly and the look in her eyes was so intense that Sesshoumaru almost took a step back.  
  
"BRING HIM BACK!"  
  
She screamed it at him and as she did, the aura around her increased. It was wild now, out of control and very nearly unrestrained. Sesshoumaru licked his lips. She could kill him. She wouldn't even have to touch him. Her anger was such that it could lash out at him any moment.  
  
Slowly, he drew his sword and made his way over to his slain half brother. Raising his sword high, he sliced it over Inu-Yasha's body. He then turned his attention back to the girl. She was watching Inu-Yasha intently, no longer aware of his presence.  
  
Suddenly, Inu-Yasha's body began to convulse and he coughed, gasping for air. The girl dropped to the ground by his side and grasped his hand. Sesshoumaru watched as her aura subsided and slowly shrank away to nothing. Convinced that there was no further danger, he turned and walked off into the forest.  
  
Sesshoumaru considered what he had just seen as he walked. The girl was powerful. He could tell that she had no idea how powerful she really was. It was obvious by the way her aura thrashed that she had no control over it yet, that she still hadn't tapped into it. He doubted that his fool brother realized how powerful she was either. He probably thought she was just an average miko.  
  
Sesshoumaru chuckled. Stupid hanyou, he had no idea what he had with that girl. No idea what laid within her. No idea at all. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she keeps him locked in her basement.  
  
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They walked back in silence. Every now and then, Kagome would glance over at Inu-Yasha and then quickly avert her eyes before he caught her.  
  
"Kagome! Inu-Yasha! Where have you been?"  
  
Shippo's chipper voice greeted the pair as soon as they walked into camp. He ran towards them but upon seeing their somber faces, came to an abrupt halt. Something was definitely wrong. Inu-Yasha looked grim and Kagome looked ragged, her clothes torn and her hair a mess. Kagome gave a weak smile as they passed the young kitsune but Inu-Yasha didn't even spare him a glance.  
  
The pair made their way over to the fire, where Sango and Miroku were fixing dinner.  
  
"What happened to you two?"  
  
Miroku's question was answered with a scowl from Inu-Yasha. The monk widened his eyes but left it at that. Kagome sat down next to Sango, exhausted, and started eating. Inu-Yasha stared at her for a moment and then announced that he was going to go check the area for demons and bandits. Kagome nodded and he bounded off into the trees. As soon as the hanyou was out of sight, Sango turned to her friend.  
  
"Kagome?" Sango asked, concern threaded through her voice.  
  
Kagome laid down her food and stared into the fire.  
  
"We had a run in with Sesshoumaru."  
  
Sango and Miroku breathed a sigh of relief. It made sense now; Inu-Yasha was always tense after a run-in with his brother.  
  
"Well, that explains it. . . " Sango began.  
  
"It was different this time. Worse. This time he almost. . .he did. . ."  
  
She gulped back tears, unable to continue. Sango put a comforting arm around her friend and stroked her hair.  
  
"It's alright. It's alright now. Inu-Yasha's fine. Everything's okay."  
  
.Kagome leaned into her friend as tears slowly began to stream down her face.  
  
************ ************ ************  
  
Inu-Yasha stared out into the night. He hadn't returned to camp until late that evening. He had spent the last few hours just running. He'd needed to run. Running made him feel alive. Beside him, Kagome stirred in her sleeping bag. He looked down at her. She had bathed after dinner, washing both blood and dirt off her body. She had washed her clothes as well, leaving the mending for morning.  
  
She stirred again and this time, when Inu-Yasha looked down at her, he found her staring back up at him.  
  
"Did I wake you?"  
  
Kagome nodded.  
  
"It's okay. I was trying to stay up till you got back anyway. I was worried about you."  
  
He turned his head back towards the forest.  
  
"Keh. There's no reason for you to be worried about me."  
  
Kagome sat up and looked at him. The moon was full and cast a silvery light, making it easy for her to see him in the dark. He looked more relaxed then before but there was still tension in his face. He gazed out into the night, refusing to look at her. His eyes were grave and his lips were set in a harsh line. Kagome's gaze traveled from his face, down to his neck. There was a faint scar there from where Sesshoumaru had cut him.  
  
He felt her hand touch his throat. He stiffened but kept his eyes forward, making no move to stop her. Delicately, she traced the scar with her fingers. When she reached the end of the wound, he grabbed her hand. Slowly, he turned and looked into her eyes. They stayed like that for a moment, eyes locked. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Kagome, shocked by his statement, sat quietly for a moment before responding.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For saving my life."  
  
"Oh that."  
  
She turned her head to the side, blushing, and dropped his hand.  
  
"It's nothing. You would have done the same for me."  
  
"Yes, I would have. But thank you anyway."  
  
She turned back to him and smiled.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"How did you get him to do it? Bring me back to life I mean."  
  
She pursed her lips and considered his question.  
  
"I'm not quite sure. I guess he doesn't dislike you as much as you thought. He is your brother after all. I think I just reminded him of that."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
They talked for a little while longer until Kagome became tired and went back to bed. Inu-Yasha stayed by her side the rest of the night, watching her sleep. As he looked at her, he mulled over the day's events in his mind. Kagome said that Sesshoumaru brought him back because they were brothers. Inu-Yasha snorted. It could be possible but he doubted it. There was another reason. He just didn't know what it was yet. 


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takehashi does. I think she keeps him locked in her basement.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
He had spied the girl earlier that day.  
  
She hadn't been alone then. She had been with some kind of demon. A strong one, from what he could tell. Not wanting to take on a demon, he'd decided it was best to stay out of their way and thus, had not made his presence known. Instead he had simply watched them from the bushes. They had been arguing over something, he wasn't quite sure what. They'd walked right past him and for a moment he'd been afraid that the demon would smell him. He must have been too engaged in his discussion with the girl though, because the demon showed no signs of sensing him and the two walked on by, never even noticing him.  
  
He smiled. No, she hadn't been alone then. But she was certainly alone now.  
  
************ ************ ************  
  
Kagome was furious. She was absolutely livid.  
  
It had been weeks since the "incident" with Sesshoumaru and things had pretty much gotten back to normal. Inu-Yasha had been nice to her for a few days but that, like it always did, hadn't lasted long. He was back to his old self now, meaning that they were back to bickering.  
  
Kagome sighed. He had been in a foul mood today, cutting her down for no reason and refusing to apologize. It had gotten so bad that she'd decided to go for a walk just to get away from him.  
  
She'd decided to go back the way they'd come earlier that day. There'd been some pretty flowers along the trail and she figured that she'd pick some to cheer herself up. She hummed to herself as she walked, enjoying the serenity and peacefulness of the forest. She spotted the flowers and began to make her way over to them. There was a rustle in the bushes and Kagome turned to see what had made the sound.  
  
It was a man. Visibly dirty and wearing tattered clothes, he emerged from the bushes and smiled at Kagome. The smile didn't reach his eyes.  
  
"And where are you off to today, lovely?"  
  
Kagome didn't answer him. She just stared, unable to move. He was still smiling at her, his lips curled back over rotting teeth. His leering eyes scanned over her body and he took a step towards her.  
  
"Run."  
  
The command came from somewhere deep in Kagome's mind and she took off sprinting. She ran as fast as she could, stumbling over rocks and sticks. Her arms scraped against passing tree branches but she didn't care. Her only thought was that she had to get away. That she had to keep running. Pushing herself to the limit, she ran as fast as she could.  
  
He was faster.  
  
He grabbed her by her hair and threw her to the ground. She cried out when she hit the dirt, a rock digging into her back. He kicked her in the stomach, silencing her cry. The bandit lowered himself on top of her, his weight pinning her down. Kagome's eyes were shut but she could feel his body on hers. The sensation sickened her and she struggled to push him off. He laughed and pulled her head back roughly by her hair. Kagome opened her eyes and stared at her attacker. His mouth was twisted into a sadistic smile.  
  
"Stupid bitch. You really thought you were going to get away, didn't you?"  
  
His hand moved to her breast and Kagome screamed. His smile faded, replaced by a sneer. He drew his hand back and slapped her, hard. Kagome's head snapped to the side and she tasted blood. He laughed and moved his hand to her breast once again. The other hand was still lodged in her hair, fingers digging into her scalp.  
  
"Stop it."  
  
His mouth was on her throat now. She felt his tongue sliding over her skin and screamed again. He squeezed her breast harshly, causing pain to rip through her body. She squirmed, trying to get away.  
  
"Stop it."  
  
He twisted her breast again and she opened her mouth to cry out. As soon as she did, his mouth was on hers. She beat on his arms with her fists, but all he did was laugh in response.  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
His hand was on her leg, lifting her skirt. His knee wedged in between her thighs, pushing her legs apart. As his hand crept up her thigh, Kagome put her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him away. His laughter rang in her ears.  
  
"STOP IT!"  
  
*********** ************ ************  
  
Inu-Yasha stalked through the forest, irritated. Kagome had run off again. Not that he cared so much. Let the stupid girl run away, she'd come back eventually. The others hadn't seen it that way though and had bullied him into going after her.  
  
Keh.  
  
Inu-Yasha paused momentarily and sniffed the air. Kagome had been this way, he could smell her. He scowled. The stupid wench was probably off somewhere sulking or crying. He sniffed the air again. Yes, she had definitely passed by this way not too long ago.  
  
Suddenly, a scream pierced through the quiet of the forest. It was almost inhuman, so full of pain and fear that Inu-Yasha's ears flattened instinctively against it.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
The hanyou took off in the direction of the sound, leaping over tree and bush. It was only after he began running that he realized the scream wasn't coming from Kagome. The voice he was hearing was male.  
  
************ ************ ************  
  
Inu-Yasha halted to a complete stop at the sight before him. Kagome was lying on her back in the dirt, crying. Her face was bruised and her clothes were torn. There was a cut on her lower lip and blood had smeared onto her face and hair. Pinning her down was the body of the bandit. Inu- Yasha ran forward and threw the dead man off Kagome. Carefully, he cradled her next to his chest as she continued to cry. He held her like that for awhile, till her cries ceased, then helped her to her feet.  
  
"Oh god, Inu-Yasha, he tried to. . ."  
  
"Shhh. It's okay Kagome. It's over. He can't hurt you anymore."  
  
The girl nodded and leaned on the hanyou as he led her back towards the camp.  
  
As they walked away, Inu-Yasha glanced over his shoulder, getting one final look at the dead man. He shuddered and turned back. There was a look of horror twisted into the dead bandit's face, eyes wide with pain, mouth open in a silent scream. The smell of burning flesh filled Inu-Yasha's nostrils and he fought back the impulse to retch. Beside him, Kagome trembled.  
  
"What's happening to me?" 


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she keeps him locked in her basement.  
  
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"She's finally asleep."  
  
Inu-Yasha and Miroku looked up as Sango joined them by the fire. The demon exterminator looked exhausted, having spent the last few hours calming Kagome down. She sat down next to Miroku with a sigh.  
  
"What do you think is wrong with her?"  
  
Her two companions remained silent for a moment. Finally, Miroku spoke, his eyes on the fire.  
  
"Perhaps it is her powers."  
  
Inu-Yasha frowned.  
  
"Keh. She's never been able to do anything even near that before."  
  
"Yes. But she suffered quite a traumatic event. Also, Kagome's only been aware of her miko abilities for a short while. She's hardly had any training dealing with them."  
  
"I've never seen a miko do what she did."  
  
"Oh? And how many mikos have you encountered, Inu-Yasha?"  
  
The hanyou scowled in reply and turned his head towards the fire. Satisfied, Miroku continued.  
  
"There's only one logical course of action. We're going to have to ask Kaede."  
  
************ ************ ************  
  
Kagome twisted feverishly in her sleep. Her head thrashed from side to side as small murmurs of distress escaped her lips.  
  
"No, no, no!"  
  
With a sudden cry, she sat straight up, hands clasped to her ears, head shaking from side to side.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
Kagome opened her eyes and whipped her head to the side. Inu-Yasha was crouched alongside her sleeping bag, concern obvious in his eyes.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Kagome panted, trying to steady her breathing. Realizing she was sweating, her hand came up to wipe her forehead.  
  
"Nothing. It was just a bad dream."  
  
The hanyou narrowed his eyes.  
  
"What was it about?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Don't lie to me. It was about what happened today, wasn't it?"  
  
Kagome remained silent.  
  
Inu-Yasha moved closer to her.  
  
"Tell me about it Kagome. Please."  
  
Kagome looked at him, sighed, then weakly leaned on his shoulder. After a moment's hesitation, Inu-Yasha put his arm around her.  
  
"I keep on seeing his face. Every time I close my eyes, he's there. That's not the worst part though. The worst part is the screaming. I can hear his screaming, both in my dreams and when I'm awake."  
  
"He deserved what he got, you know."  
  
"No, he didn't. I don't know what I did to him exactly, but no one deserves to be in the type of pain he must have been in before he died. The sound he was making. . . I can't. . .god, what did I do to him?"  
  
"You did what you had to do."  
  
Kagome looked up at Inu-Yasha. His voice had been firm and even if she didn't quite agree with his statement, she was comforted by his assuring tone.  
  
"Look, you should try to get some sleep. Miroku thinks that it would be best if we went to see Kaede tomorrow. He figures she might be able to give us some answers. It's going to be a long journey back so you're going to need your rest."  
  
Kagome pulled back and ran her hand through her hair.  
  
"You're right. I'm just afraid that. . . "  
  
"I'll stay right here all night, in case you have another nightmare."  
  
Kagome blushed.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Inu-Yasha gave a curt nod.  
  
"Keh. Somebody has to watch out for a weak human like you."  
  
Kagome smiled and lay back down. Her breathing slowly steadied out and soon she was fast asleep. By her side, the hanyou watched over her, his amber eyes filled with worry. There would be no sleep for him tonight. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she keeps him locked in her basement.  
  
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"Please go over what happened again. Step by step."  
  
"We're already been over it two times! Why do you need to hear it again?"  
  
Kaede pursed her lips at the impatient hanyou's voice; it was the only sign of annoyance she let show. Inu-Yasha lay on his side on the floor, his right hand supporting his head. A scowl was on his face as he stared at the old woman. To his right sat Miroku and Sango with Kirara curled up in between them. To the right of them was Shippo, who had only been allowed to attend the meeting because he had whined so much. Beside him was Kagome. She sat on the floor with her legs tucked under her, head bowed, bangs covering her eyes. Fatigue showed on every line of her body and she had been unusually silent, speaking only to answer Kaede's questions.  
  
"Inu-Yasha, I must know the exact details of what happened in order to determine what is wrong with Kagome. I cannot help her otherwise."  
  
"We are all anxious to know what is wrong with Kagome Inu-Yasha, but we must be patient." Miroku added solemnly.  
  
"Keh."  
  
Hoping that there would be no more interruptions, Kaede turned her attention back to Kagome.  
  
"Please go over it again Kagome."  
  
The girl sighed and began her tale for the third time.  
  
************ ************ ************ ************  
  
"Well?" Inu-Yasha asked when Kagome had finished her story.  
  
Kaede sat quietly for a moment before speaking.  
  
"I think that Kagome is far more powerful than any of us could have imagined. The abilities that she described are those of a highly advanced miko. I don't even have that type of power."  
  
Kaede waited for everyone to absorb this information before continuing.  
  
"I would like Kagome to stay here for a few days so that I may further test her abilities. Is that alright with ye, Kagome?"  
  
Slowly, Kagome lifted her head and looked at Kaede.  
  
"When do we start?" she asked, a genuine smile on her face for the first time in days.  
  
Kaede smiled back.  
  
"Tomorrow." 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she keeps him locked in her basement.  
  
********************************************************************  
  
"Alright. Let's try it again."  
  
Kagome and Kaede stood at the edge of the forest, sweating in the hot noon sun. A target stood about fifteen feet in front of them.  
  
"Now concentrate your energy. Feel it flow through you."  
  
"I feel ridiculous." Kagome grumbled.  
  
She stood with her legs braced apart, back straight, head high. Her arms were bent as if she were holding a bow.  
  
"Just close your eyes and concentrate."  
  
Kagome sighed but did as she was told.  
  
"Now focus." Kaede's voice instructed softly. "Pretend that ye is about to release an arrow. Concentrate on the power that ye puts into that arrow."  
  
Kagome scrunched her eyes as she tried to focus. She could feel it . . . there, underneath her fingertips!  
  
Kaede watched as a bright pink light began to form in Kagome's right hand.  
  
"Good. Concentrate, concentrate. Now. . . release!"  
  
Kagome's eyes flew open as a small pink ball of light burst from her hand. It traveled a few feet before skidding onto the grass and dissolving. Kagome watched it disappear, then dropped her arms in defeat.  
  
"Better." Kaede said.  
  
Kagome hung her head.  
  
"Not good though."  
  
"You've only just begun child." Kaede said, patting Kagome on the shoulder. "Give it some time."  
  
Kagome's head snapped up, a determination etched onto her face.  
  
"You're right! Let's do it again!"  
  
She raised her arms and flashed the elderly miko a winning smile.  
  
"After all, practice makes perfect, right?"  
  
Kaede nodded and the two continued to train until Shippo called them for lunch.  
  
************ ************ ************ ************  
  
"Hey runt, pass that tray over here."  
  
"You could ask a little nicer, Inu-Yasha."  
  
"Pass the tray or I'll bop you on the head with it."  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
"Inu-Yasha."  
  
Kagome tried to sound stern, she really did but she just couldn't. She was in too good a mood. After the trauma of the past week, it felt good to just sit around with everyone and have a nice, normal lunch. Even Shippo and Inu-Yasha's arguing was comforting. Ever since the confrontation with the bandit, everyone had been a little tense, including her. It seemed that they were all finally starting to relax.  
  
Inu-Yasha and Shippo continued to squabble but Kagome ignored them, opting to lie back on the grass and soak up some sun instead. Since it was such a nice day outside they had decided to have a picnic lunch.  
  
Everyone was finished eating except for Inu-Yasha and Shippo. Kaede had gone inside to take a nap, claiming that food and the heat made her old body tired. Kirara had fallen into a burr patch earlier and was now covered from head to tail with the prickly nuisances. Sango had started to brush them out of her fur but Miroku had gallantly offered to take over the job. They sat off to the side, Kirara in Sango's lap, Miroku on her side, gently brushing the cat. Kagome suspected that Miroku's interest in Kirara's fur had little to do with his concern over the cat's well-being. It was more likely that he offered because while brushing the feline, his hand was able to skim Sango's thigh every now and then without fear of retribution. Kagome smiled. Yes, things were certainly getting back to normal.  
  
The peaceful mood was ruined though, by the sudden appearance of a whirlwind. It zoomed around the little group before promptly landing on Inu-Yasha. The whirlwind quickly ceased, revealing Kouga, one foot on the ground, the other propped on Inu-Yasha's head.  
  
"Kouga, you wimpy wolf bastard. . . " Inu-Yasha growled, swiping at the wolf prince.  
  
Kouga easily dodged the move and knelt by Kagome. He grasped her hands and looked into her eyes.  
  
"Kagome! How have you been? Dog-crap over there hasn't been giving you any trouble, has he?"  
  
"Nothing I can't handle." Kagome said, blushing.  
  
Kouga began to laugh, then stopped suddenly, his nose sniffing the air. He sniffed the air around him, turning his head this way and that. Finally he turned back to Kagome. His eyes narrowed and he leaned into her. Just as quickly he pulled back, abruptly releasing her hands with a growl. He jumped up and stalked over to Inu-Yasha.  
  
"What did you do to her? What did you do to my woman?"  
  
"What are you talking about Kouga? I didn't do anything to her! And she's not your woman!" Inu-Yasha snarled, coming nose to nose with Kouga.  
  
"Her scent! Her scent is different! Can't you smell it?"  
  
Inu-Yasha just stared at Kouga, a look of confusion on his face. Kouga stared back at him, then snorted.  
  
"You can't, can you? Your inferior dog nose hasn't picked it up yet."  
  
Inu-Yasha growled.  
  
"My nose is just as good as yours Kouga! There's nothing wrong with Kagome's scent."  
  
To prove his point, Inu-Yasha walked over to Kagome, grabbed her hand and sniffed it. As soon as he did, his eyes widened and he dropped Kagome's hand. Kouga smirked.  
  
"See? I was right. It is different."  
  
"It's only slightly different."  
  
"It's pure." Kouga said with a sneer. "I'll ask you again, what did you do to her?"  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
As the two canine youkai continued to argue, Kagome made her way over to Sango.  
  
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" she whispered.  
  
"I think so. Kouga said your scent was more "pure". I think your new powers have increased your ability to purify things, thus changing your scent. A purer scent would of course be unpleasant to Kouga, since he is a demon after all."  
  
"Oh. Why didn't Inu-Yasha pick up on it then?"  
  
Sango shrugged.  
  
"Most likely because he's only half-demon. The purifying scent doesn't bother him."  
  
"What about Shippo?"  
  
"Shippo's nose isn't as strong as either of theirs. Wolf youkai are much less refined than foxes. Their instincts are more primal."  
  
"Ah. I should probably break this up, huh?"  
  
Sango looked over at Kouga and Inu-Yasha. They had progressed from verbal sparring to physical. Sango sighed.  
  
"Probably. If not they'll eventually end up hurting themselves."  
  
Kagome nodded.  
  
"Inu-Yasha. . .oswari!"  
  
************ ************ ************ ************  
  
Inu-Yasha refused to talk to Kagome for the rest of the day. After the "sitting", Kouga had said his good-byes and left in his usual whirlwind, uprooting several small plants along the way. He had promised to return to Kagome once she was "back to normal."  
  
Kagome smiled. Even if Inu-Yasha was mad at her for sitting him, he should be happy at one thing. Her new scent seemed to repel Kouga, meaning that he wouldn't be around for awhile. Not that the thought of repelling her friend made her happy, but she took anything that made Inu-Yasha more agreeable as a blessing.  
  
Clouds rolled lazily across the sky, uncovering the moon so that light shone through the window into Kaede's hut. Kagome yawned and snuggled deeper into her pillow. It had been a long day and she was tired. The moonlight coming in was bothering her so she turned away from the window. In doing so, she missed the glowing pair of red eyes that peered through it, watching her. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she keeps him locked in her basement.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"I don't see why we have to waste our time collecting firewood."  
  
Kagome sighed. She didn't like chores anymore then the next person, but Inu-Yasha's griping was starting to get on her nerves.  
  
"It's our turn, Inu-Yasha. Sango and Miroku went last time."  
  
"Keh. The only reason Miroku went last time was so that he'd have a chance to be alone with Sango. You saw the handprint on his face when they got back."  
  
"Oh, just stop complaining and help me find some sticks."  
  
Inu-Yasha grumbled under his breath but, fearing a "sitting", complied. The two gathered loose sticks and small branches for nearly half an hour. When they were satisfied that they had enough firewood to last a week, they began to make their way back to Kaede's village. Suddenly, Inu-Yasha stilled. He put out a hand, stopping Kagome.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Shhh." The hanyou whispered, his ears swerving back and forth. "There's something coming this way."  
  
No sooner had he spoken, than a large demon burst from the forest. It was huge. Some type of reptile demon. Green scales covered its massive body, from its serpent-like head to its sinister looking tail. Yellow spikes protruded from its back, matching the claws on each of its six legs. It opened its mouth in a wicked grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs.  
  
"Over hereeeeee!" It hissed "I'veeee found themmmm!"  
  
Inu-Yasha dropped the sticks he'd been carrying and drew Tetsusagia as the trees behind the demon began to shake. Four more reptile demons appeared.  
  
"Whereeeee are the jewel shardsssss?" one of them asked.  
  
"She'ssss got themmm." The original demon answered, his tongue flickering at Kagome.  
  
"Well thennn, I guessss we'll just have to relieve her of themmm." The second demon replied before lunging at Kagome.  
  
Before Kagome could even draw breath to scream, Inu-Yasha was in front of her. He sliced the demon in two, straight down the middle.  
  
"Anyone else want to try?" he challenged the other demons.  
  
The four remaining reptiles stared at him through cold eyes, scarlet tongues flickering in and out as they considered him. Inu-Yasha stared back at them warily. He caught the eye of the original one, probably their leader, and growled. The demon smirked at him. Raising its head, it began to emulate a loud hissing sound. The other three demons soon joined in and the hissing became a screech. As Inu-Yasha flattened his ears against the noise, the ground began to tremble. Suddenly, ten more demons appeared beside the four.  
  
The hissing stopped and the lead reptile lowered his head, staring at Inu- Yasha.  
  
"Nowwww, we are ready to tryyyy."  
  
*********** *********** ************  
  
Kagome screamed as two of the demons leapt towards Inu-Yasha.  
  
"Get back Kagome!" he snarled as he deflected the two demons.  
  
Kagome edged away, planning on going back to the village for help. The moment she turned to run though, a demon blocked her way.  
  
"Going somewhereeee?"  
  
Fighting down rising panic, Kagome drew an arrow and fired. It missed the demon's heart, but sliced its arm off. Screaming in pain, the demon lunged for Kagome. She rolled away from the attack, barely missing its teeth.  
  
Inu-Yasha wasn't fairing much better. There were just too many of them. All slashing claws and whipping tails. Suddenly, he heard Kagome scream. The demon with the severed arm was standing over her, claws raised. His path blocked by the other demons, Inu-Yasha did the only thing he could do. He flung Tetsusaiga as hard as he could, straight into the demon's chest. It screeched, its cold black eyes rolling back into its head as it died.  
  
Seeing that their opponent was now defenseless, the other reptiles circled Inu-Yasha.  
  
"What are you going to do nowwww?" they taunted.  
  
"I don't need a sword to defeat you slithering bastards!" Inu-Yasha snarled.  
  
"Suchhhh languageee!" the leader mocked, his wide mouth turned upward in a snake-like grin.  
  
"Afterrrrr we're done with youuuu, we'll finish your female as wellll."  
  
Inu-Yasha growled. From deep within he felt a pulse.  
  
"Tear herrrr limb from limbbbb." Another jeered.  
  
Inu-Yasha growled louder, flexing his claws. The reptile demons didn't notice that they had grown longer than before.  
  
"Orrrr" the leader continued, "Maybe we'll kill her firstttt and let you watchhhhh."  
  
The leader turned towards Kagome, teeth bared. Kagome didn't notice though, her eyes were on Inu-Yasha. He had begun to shake.  
  
"Don't touch her!" he ground out.  
  
The lead demon looked over his shoulder at Inu-Yasha.  
  
"Fineeee. We'll killlll you at the same timeeee." He hissed, turning back to Kagome as the other demons advanced on Inu-Yasha. He expected to see the girl watching him in fear but instead, her attention was focused on something behind him. A sudden scent filled his nose. Confused, he turned around and was met with blood-red eyes. It was the last thing he would ever see. He fell dead instantly, his body in shreds. Kagome stared in horror at the remains and then, slowly, her gaze traveled upward to her rescuer.  
  
Inu-Yasha stood before her. His eyes were no longer golden but a deep red with eerie turquoise pupils. His fangs and claws were longer, sharper and heavy with blood. Vivid purple streaks slashed across his cheeks. Kagome gulped in panic. He had fully transformed into his demon self.  
  
"Inu-Yasha?" she ventured cautiously.  
  
He looked down at her and giggled, a demented sound that turned her stomach. Suddenly he stopped giggling and growled. He turned back towards the other demons, who had been standing in shock since their leader had been slain. They eyed the transformed hanyou with a mix of anger, shock and fear. Inu-Yasha grinned, then attacked.  
  
********** ************ ************  
  
Kagome watched Inu-Yasha charge the other demons and forced herself to look away. She knew what was coming. Once in this form, he wouldn't stop till everything around him was dead. Kagome shuddered. She could feel the joy he felt in the killing, the death. She knew the only way to stop it was to get the Tetsusaiga. Unfortunately, it was still lodged in the body of the slain reptile demon. She began to crawl over to it slowly, not wanting to attract the attention of her now full demon companion.  
  
She reached the sword just as the last reptile demon was slain. As she reached for the blade, she noticed that the sounds of battle had subsided. She turned and gasped.  
  
Flesh and bone lay everywhere. Blood soaked the ground and the stench of death was already rising. In the middle of it all stood Inu-Yasha. He was casually licking blood off of his claws . . . and purring. Kagome felt bile begin to rise up in her throat and forced it back down. If she could just get Tetsusaiga then Inu-Yasha would go back to normal. She pulled determinately at the blade but it barely budged. She began to pull again when the sound of giggling reached her ears. Slowly, she turned back to Inu-Yasha.  
  
The hanyou was observing her with interest. He delicately licked the last of the blood off of his claws. Kagome dropped the blade and instinctively stepped back.  
  
"Inu-Yasha. . ."she began.  
  
She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Upon hearing her voice, the hanyou had bared his teeth and, snarling, lunged at her. Kagome turned her head and threw out her hands in defense. Fear had robbed her of her voice.  
  
Suddenly, a burst of energy sprang from Kagome's hands and Inu-Yasha was thrown to the ground.  
  
He writhed on the ground, pink mist spiraling around his body. As it swirled around him it seemed to tighten, as if squeezing him. A piercing scream erupted from his mouth. It echoed throughout the forest, drowning out all other sound. Kagome watched in horror as Inu-Yasha convulsed, his eyes flickering between crimson and gold. Suddenly, his screaming stopped and an unnatural silence filled the woods. Inu-Yasha collapsed, his body still and his eyes closed. The pink mist that had surrounded him faded away.  
  
Kagome stood in shock. "What have I done?" her mind screamed as she stared at Inu-Yasha's limp body. 


	8. Chapter 8

"Is he breathing?"  
  
"Yes, but barely."  
  
"We should move him."  
  
"Where's Kirara?"  
  
"Oh god."  
  
"Shh, Kagome. He'll be okay."  
  
"This is my fault."  
  
"It's no one's fault. Let's just get him back to the village."  
  
"Over here Kirara."  
  
"Lift him up."  
  
"Oh god."  
  
*********** ************ ************  
  
His ears began working before his eyes. He could hear the wind blowing, birds chirping and someone moving to his left. They were cooking something, the smell drifted over him. Maybe it was Kagome making ramen.  
  
Inu-Yasha sat up, wincing as pain ran up his side.  
  
"Kagome?" His mind raced. It was coming back to him now, the woods, the lizard demons, Kagome screaming.  
  
"She's fine Inu-Yasha." Kaede walked over from her cooking pot, carrying a small bowl.  
  
She sat down by the hanyou, offering the bowl to him, "Eat this."  
  
He ignored the food. "Where's Kagome?"  
  
"She's outside with the others. She's been worried about ye, Inu-Yasha. Ye has been unconscious for several days."  
  
"What happened? I remember fighting the lizard demons, but that's it."  
  
"Ye was separated from Tetsusaiga and transformed into a full demon. According to Kagome, ye vanquished the lizard demons then turned on her. Her miko powers restrained ye, but I'm afraid they were too strong. They transformed ye back to your true form but put you in a coma as well."  
  
The old miko held out the bowl to him again. "Here. Eat this. Your strength won't return unless you do."  
  
Inu-Yasha nodded and reached for the bowl. Kaede noticed him wincing as he did so.  
  
"It appears that Kagome's powers did some physical damage as well."  
  
"I'm fine." Inu-Yasha snapped as he took the bowl from Kaede.  
  
"Kaede, Sango and Miroku were wondering...."  
  
Inu-Yasha and Kaede both turned their heads at the sound of Kagome's voice. The girl was frozen in the doorway of the hut, staring at the hanyou.  
  
"Yes, Kagome? What were Miroku and Sango wondering?"  
  
The old woman's voice seemed to bring the girl back from whatever she was thinking. Her gaze shifted from Inu-Yasha to Kaede.  
  
"They were wondering when dinner was going to be ready."  
  
"In a few minutes."  
  
"Okay. I'll tell them. Thanks." Glancing once more at Inu-Yasha, Kagome quickly exited the hut.  
  
"Kagome." Inu-Yasha called after her, but it was too late, the girl was already gone.  
  
"What was that all about? She didn't even speak to me."  
  
Kaede returned to her pot and began to stir. "Do not be angry at Kagome, Inu-Yasha. She feels guilty over injuring ye."  
  
"That's ridiculous. I was the one trying to kill her, after all."  
  
He stood up and began walking towards the door. The pain in his side was considerable though, so the process was slow.  
  
"There's a cane in the corner, if ye would like to use it," Kaede said, still looking at her pot, "Just try to be sensitive when talking to Kagome. She's been worried about ye."  
  
"Who said I was going to talk to Kagome?" Inu-Yasha said, retrieving the cane.  
  
"Sensitive, Inu-Yasha."  
  
"Whatever." The hanyou grumbled as he walked out the door.  
  
*********** ************ ************  
  
He found Kagome outside, sitting on a large rock on the outskirts of the village.  
  
"Hey," he called as he approached her, "What was all that in there for?"  
  
She looked up at him. Her face was first startled, then sad. Inu-Yasha hobbled over and sat down next to her. Kagome took in his pained expression as he sat down.  
  
"You really shouldn't be walking."  
  
"Keh. Don't tell me what to do," He said. Then, remembering Kaede's advice added, "I'm not hurt that badly. I've had worse."  
  
"Not from me."  
  
She turned her head and continued, refusing to look at him. "I almost killed you. I didn't even mean to attack and I almost killed you."  
  
"It's not your fault. You didn't mean to."  
  
"That's not the point. Whether I meant to or not, I almost killed you. I'm not safe to be around." Her voice quivered and Inu-Yasha could tell she was holding back tears. He reached over and grabbed her hand. Surprised, she turned and look at him.  
  
"Listen to me, Kagome. It's not your fault. I would have killed you in my demon form, you know that. What you did doesn't make you dangerous." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.  
  
"Hell, I've almost killed you several times when I've been in that form and you've never considered me dangerous. You were defending yourself, that's all."  
  
Kagome tried to speak but tears began to roll down her face instead. She leaned into Inu-Yasha and he cradled her against him.  
  
"I can't control it," She whispered into his chest, "I can't control it and it scares me."  
  
"It's alright. Kaede'll find a way to help you. You'll learn to control it, just like I learned how to control my demon blood."  
  
"I don't want this."  
  
"I know." Inu-Yasha said, holding Kagome tighter as she began to cry again.  
  
As the two friends comforted each other, they were unaware of a pair of red eyes watching them from the trees. The wasp had been following them for weeks now, waiting for something to report. Satisfied that what it had seen would be of value, the wasp flew back to its master.  
  
*********** *********** ************  
  
"So the little miko has new powers, does she? Interesting. You may go now." Naraku dismissed the wasp, sending him back to his hive.  
  
"What do you think, Kanna?"  
  
The small girl tuned her blank eyes towards her master. "The miko's powers are great. She could be a threat."  
  
"Or an advantage," Naraku snapped his fingers and a young man appeared before him, "Hideo, take some of your brethren and retrieve the miko for me."  
  
"Yes, Master." Hideo turned and began walking towards the door.  
  
"Oh, and Hideo?"  
  
The young man paused. "Yes?"  
  
"Inu-Yasha is in a weakened state. We shouldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Bring me back his head."  
  
The young man looked over his shoulder at Naraku and smiled. "As you wish, Master." 


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry about the lack of updates. School got really busy. I'll try to do better from now on.I really do have an ending to this story.

Kagome's mind was heavy as she walked towards the Bone Eater's Well. She was going home. She'd decided that was the only way to keep everyone safe until she figured out how to control her powers. She was dangerous. She'd already killed one person and seriously injured another. Just the memory of seeing Inu-Yasha's unconscious body made Kagome shudder. It had been three days since the hanyou had regained consciousness and while his health was steadily improving, he wasn't healing anywhere near as fast as he usually did.

She had almost killed him. None of the others would say it, but that's what she'd done. They all tried to comfort her saying that it was all in self-defense from his demon form, but that didn't make Kagome feel any better. Inu-Yasha was half-demon and her powers had nearly killed him. What if she accidentally released something on Sango, or Miroku or Shippo?

"I won't allow that to happen." Kagome thought as she made her way through the woods.

She reached the clearing that housed the well rather quickly. Once in viewing range of the well though, Kagome stopped. No one was ever at the well. The villagers were all scared of it. The legends and superstitions tying it to demons kept them all at bay. In fact, they were so afraid of it that hardly anyone even went into the clearing. Kagome was thankful of this because it allowed her to travel through the well freely without fear of being seen.

Today though, there was a man casually perched on the side of the well. He sat, arms folded across his chest, legs crossed at the ankles, looking as if he hadn't a care in the world. He wore an outfit similar in style to Inu-Yasha's. Instead of being red though, it was light blue in color with gold and white thread weaving a delicate patterns throughout it. His hair fell to his shoulders in face-framing layers. His head was bent, causing his face to be obscured by his bangs, but from what she could see, Kagome judged him to be young, possibly in his twenties.

Kagome hesitated at the edge of the clearing. She didn't know this man and found it rather odd that he was sitting at the well. She could just wait till he left to use the well, but who knew how long that would take and sooner or later someone would realize she had gone and come looking for her. She hadn't told anyone she was leaving, just left a note. She knew that her friends would try to stop her if they knew her plans.

"No," Kagome thought, "I have to leave now. If I wait any longer, someone will come looking for me. If I jump and the well and disappear, it'll probably just frighten him away."

Confident that she could get rid of the unwanted intruder if she had to, Kagome walked into the clearing. The closer she got to him, the sillier Kagome felt for being afraid. Given how nice the man's hair and clothes looked, chances were he wasn't a bandit. Probably just some traveling nobleman out for a walk who was unaware of the superstitions attached to the well.

The sun came out from behind the clouds and Kagome watched it reflect off the young man's hair. From the edge of the clearing, the stranger's hair had looked black but up close and in the sunlight, it was most definitely a dark shade of blue. Kagome slowed her walking. The young man reached up and swept some of his bangs behind his ear. An ear that was pointed at the tip.

Youkai.

"Hello, Kagome." the demon said. He didn't look at her, just casually inspected his fingertips.

"Who are you?

"He chuckled. "Not that it's any of your concern, but my name is Hideo. I'm your escort."

"Escort? To where?"

He looked up at her then and Kagome was able to get her first good view of his face. He was breathtakingly handsome. His skin was pale, save for the single black stripe that slashed down each of his cheeks. His eyes, deep blue like his hair, locked with hers. He smiled and Kagome suppressed a shudder. "Lord Naraku wishes your presence."


	10. Chapter 10

"Hurry up, Inu-Yasha! If you keep up this pace, we'll never catch up with Kagome!"

"Shut up, runt! I'm going as fast as I can!" Inu-Yasha growled at the kitsune perched on his shoulder.

"Well, this isn't good enough." The fox retorted, ignoring the hanyou's warning growl. "She'll already be gone by the time we get there."

Inu-Yasha didn't reply for two reasons. For one, he was tired of Shippo's constant complaints and didn't want to encourage him further. The second reason was that he feared Shippo was right. He was still weak from the "incident" with Kagome in the woods and his strength wasn't even at half it's normal capacity.

"I can't believe she would just leave like that." Shippo continued, interrupting Inu-Yasha's thoughts. "She's never going to figure out how to control her powers without Kaede's help."

"I'm sure this is all because she feels guilty over injuring you. She never would have left if..."

"SHUT UP!" The words were punctuated by a bop on the head. "Just be quiet, Shippo. I'm trying to track Kagome's scent and I can't concentrate with you continually babbling."

"Sorry." Shippo mumbled, rubbing the bump on his head.

Inu-Yasha gave him a sideways glance, but said nothing. He knew that Kagome was heading for the Bone Eater's Well. What he didn't know was how long she'd been traveling to it. If he could find her scent, then he would know how much of a head start she had. He stopped for a moment and sniffed the air. There! Her scent was from the direction of the Bone Eater's Well. She had to still be there for him to be able to smell her this strongly. He smirked. He'd be able to get there before she left. That would show Shippo to complain about how fast he could run. Maybe the little brat wouldn't mouth off so much next...

His smirk disappeared. He grabbed Shippo quickly and practically tossed him on the ground.

"Hey!", the kitsune exclaimed, "What was that for?"

"Go back and get Miroku and Sango. Tell them to go to the Bone Eater's Well."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I smell one of Naraku's minions." Inu-Yasha said as he set off in a run towards the Bone Eater's Well.

"I'm not going with you."

Hideo sighed. "Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." He pulled a sai out from his shirt. "It's up to you which way it's going to be."

Kagome took a step back from him and reached for her bow. The demon raised an eyebrow. He seemed amused.

"I assure you, you'll be unconscious before you can use it." He watched her string her bow. "Now be a good miko and come along quietly."

Kagome let the arrow fly. It looked like it was going to hit, but seconds before hitting his chest, the demon moved out of it's path, causing the arrow to land harmlessly in a tree behind him. Kagome blinked. He was fast, even for a demon. Kouga couldn't even move at that speed.

Seeing her astonishment, Hideo smiled. "See? It's useless." He walked towards her, stopping right in front of her. Before she could react, he reached out his hand and grabbed her chin between his fingers. Kagome struggled, but his grip only tightened.

"Now sleep." He instructed. As he did, his finger tips began to glow blue and Kagome felt her strength leaving her. He watched her eyelids flutter as she struggled to remain awake and smiled. "No point in fighting it. Just let yourself go."

"KAGOME!"

Kagome's eyes snapped open at the scream. Inu-Yasha, sword drawn, leapt at Hideo. The demon cursed but avoided easily avoided the blade. Kagome fell to the ground. She looked up just in time to see Inu-Yasha lunging again at Hideo. The demon smirked and pulled his other sai from his shirt.

"Be careful, Inu-Yasha!" Kagome screamed. "He's faster than Kouga."

"Like that means anything." Inu-Yasha said as he swung at Hideo.

Hideo caught the Tetsuaiga's blade with his left sai and swiped at Inu-Yasha with his right one. The hanyou grit his teeth as the pointed tip cut into his side. The demon observed the blood dripping from his opponent's wound and smiled.

"You should listen to your female friend. She's not as foolish as you are."

Snarling, Inu-Yasha lunged at him again. Just as before, Hideo easily sidestepped him and sliced him with his sai. Inu-Yasha continued to attack over and over, but each time the result was the same. His injuries combined with the demons speed made it impossible for him to inflict any damage.

Hideo laughed. "What's wrong, hanyou? Your female rough you up too much?"

Hideo continued to laugh as Inu-Yasha lunged again with his sword. He deflected the Tetsuaiga easily, but wasn't prepared for Inu-Yasha's fist. The hanyou hit him square in the mouth, knocking him back several feet. Surprised, Hideo touched his hand to his lips and felt blood. He looked up Inu-Yasha. The hanyou stood still, braced for another attack.

"I think it's time we ended this." Hideo said. He stood up, dusted himself off, then charged at Inu-Yasha with incredible speed. He struck out at the hanyou with both his sais. His speed was double what it had been before and it was all Inu-Yasha could do to deflect his blows with the Tetsuaiga. Hideo's sai came down hard, slashing Inu-Yasha's hand and causing his grip to loosen on his sword. The demon slashed again, this time pushing at the Tetsuaiga as he sliced his opponent's hand. The sword went flying and Hideo kicked Inu-Yasha's legs out from underneath him.

Inu-Yasha fell to the ground, Hideo's weight pinning him down. The demon bent over him, his holding the sai to his throat.

"I was given orders to bring back your head." Hideo ran the tip of the sai along the scar on Inu-Yasha's neck. "It's nothing personal, you understand. Orders are orders."

He pulled back the sai, posing it for decapitation. Suddenly a large boomerang flew through the air, knocking the sai from Hideo's hand. Scowling, he looked up at the unexpected intruders.

Miroku and Sango ran towards them, with Shippo and Kirara not far behind.

"The monk and the demon exterminator." Hideo thought with disgust. He had been warned about them.

Noticing his opponent's distraction, Inu-Yasha kicked out with leg, dislodging Hideo. The demon rolled for a few feet, then crouched in the grass. Inu-Yasha grabbed his sword. The two stared at each other for a moment, then Hideo put two fingers to his mouth and whistled.

A rumbling came from the surrounding forest and a horde of demons flew into the air. Inu-Yasha watched as the demons headed towards them.

"Coward." he snarled at Hideo, just before one of the demons descended on him. He sliced it in two with his sword, but another one soon took its place. Through the writhing masses of demons, Inu-Yasha could see Kagome standing by the well with her bow drawn.

"Kagome!" he yelled, "Shoot them!"

Kagome watched as demons swirled around her friends. She aimed her bow, but as she did, she could feel her power beginning to grow. Her hands trembled. Images of Inu-Yasha's body after the last time she had used her powers flashed before her eyes. What if she hurt him again? What if this time she killed him?

"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha yelled again.

She tried to raise her bow again but couldn't. The fear of what had happened last time kept her frozen to the spot. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her skull and she crumbled to the ground. Hideo lowered his sai and grabbed her by the throat.

"Sleep." he commanded, gripping her neck tightly as blue sparks shot from his fingers.

Kagome stared up at him in pain. "Inu-Yasha," she whispered, "I'm sorry." Then her world went black.

Hideo picked up Kagome and whistled again. One of the larger demons flew towards them and Hideo hoisted Kagome, then himself, onto its back. He whistled again and the monster lifted into the air.

"KAGOME!"

Inu-Yasha started towards them. He cut through demons left and right but by the time he got there, it was too late. They were gone. He sank down to the ground by Kagome's discarded bow and arrows. Having disposed of the other demons, Miroku and Sango ran over to him.

"Who was that?" Miroku asked. "And where did he take Kagome?"

Inu-Yasha's claws sank into the dirt. "His name was Hideo." He looked up at his companions. The fierceness in his eyes caused them to baulk.

"He took her to Naraku."


	11. Chapter 11

"Here is the miko, as you requested." Hideo placed Kagome's limp body carefully on the floor.

Naraku looked down at the girl, then up at his minion. "And the head of Inu-Yasha?"

Hideo hesitated. "There were...complications."

"Complications?"

"The monk and the demon exterminator showed up."

"So you thought it best to run?"

Hideo scowled. "I was outnumbered."

Naraku waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. The girl was the important thing. At least you managed to accomplish _that_ simple task."

Hideo bowed his head in shame but Naraku noticed his fists clenching in anger.

"You're work here is complete, Hideo," Naraku continued, "Go and fetch Kagura."

"Yes, my lord." Hideo bowed low, then walked out of the room.

Naraku smiled as he watched him go. His minions had a habit of being defiant. It was a habit he always enjoyed breaking.

Kagura was sitting in her room, toying with her fan when a knock came at the door. She didn't have to guess who it was.

"What do you want?" she snapped as Hideo entered her room.

"Nice to see you too, Kagura. Care to ask how my mission went?"

She snorted. "If you're here, then that means you accomplished it. Otherwise you'd be dead."

He flashed a charming smile. "Astute observation. Your intelligence never ceases to amaze me."

"Is there something you wanted?" Kagura asked, snapping her fan shut.

Hideo leaned casually against the doorframe and crossed his arms. "I was sent to summon you. Naraku requires your presence."

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Kagura grumbled as she stood up. She strode over to the door, but Hideo still blocked her path. She paused, looking past him, over his shoulder. After a few moments, she turned her face towards his, glaring.

"Are you going to move?"

Hideo grinned and stepped aside with a flourish. "You had but to ask, Kagura."

Annoyed, Kagura stormed past him into the hall.

"As if I would lower myself to ever asking anything of you." She said as she walked towards Naraku's chamber, refusing to spare Hideo even a backwards glance.

Hideo didn't reply. He simply leaned back against the doorframe, watching her form disappear down the hallway.

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"You called for me?" Kagura asked upon entering Naraku's chambers.

Naraku's gaze was fixed on Kagome. He didn't even glance at Kagura. "Stand to the side for now. Your services will be required shortly."

Kagura did as she was bid. Naraku continued to stare at Kagome for several more seconds, then opened his mouth. "Yume!"

Slowly, the outline of a figure began to materialize beside Naraku. It shimmered and waved, then solidified. Kagura watched with interest. It was an old youkai, or at least appeared to be. He was tall and despite his body being completely shrouded in light gray robes, Kagura could tell he was painfully thin. Long bony fingers, covered in pale yellow skin, protruded from the arms of the robe but his head was completely covered by a hood. He spoke, his voice a hypnotic rhythm.

"What is it you wish, Lord Naraku?"

Naraku pointed to Kagome. "That girl. She is the one we discussed. The miko."

"I see. I will proceed then."

Yume pulled back his hood, revealing a long, thin face. Symmetrical lines of gray dots began at the bridge of his nose, curving along the edge of his face. The dots were the largest on his bridge, decreasing in size as they continued down the line until they were mere pinpoints on his chin. His eyes, large and white, seemed to focus on Kagome, though Kagura could see no pupils.

"Get on with it." The impatience in Naraku's voice was evident.

Slowly, the old youkai put his fingertips to his temples, his gaze still fastened to Kagome. He closed his eyes and stood still for a moment, as if in concentration. Then his eyes snapped open and he began to chant.


	12. Chapter 12

All Kagome could see around her was darkness. It felt thick and heavy and seemed to encompass her. It was suffocating her. Her sense of smell returned and suddenly she knew why. Smoke! She was completely surrounded by smoke. It filled her lungs, causing her to cough and drop to the ground, gasping for breath. She crawled on her hands and knees, hoping to find some escape from the black smog that seemed to fill everything. As she crawled she could hear screams and cries sounding all around her. She pulled herself away from the smoke, to a clear area where she could breath again. She attempted to stand and gasped as pain shot through her legs. She looked down. Her knees were bloody from crawling over the rocky terrain. With a cry she pulled herself up and looked at her surroundings.

It was a village. A burning village. People scrambled as roofs blazed and ash rained down. The screaming grew louder. Kagome put her hands over her ears to try and block it out. It was the sound of people being burned alive. Desperate, she looked around for someway to help but it was no use. The fire had raged out of control. Every building appeared to be on aflame and there were charred bodies littering the streets.

Panicked, Kagome's gaze looked frantically at the people running through the streets. She called out to them, trying to ask what had happened, but they didn't seem to hear her. She heard something behind her and whipped around. There, at the edge of the village, stood a man in a white baboon's skin, chuckling softly.

Kagome opened her mouth to scream. No sound came out. Instead, she was enclosed by darkness for a second time. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself staring at Naraku.

"You," she was short of breath, as if she'd been running for miles, "You burned that village." Her voice picked up momentum as she spoke. "You killed all those people." Naraku watched her, his gaze unflinching.

"Just to get a jewel shard," Kagome continued, "You killed all those people just to get a jewel shard!"

She stared up at her captor, loathing and unbelief apparent in her eyes. Naraku stared back at her. He didn't try to hide his smile or the satisfaction in his eyes. Both were cold.

"Excellent job, Yume." The old youkai merely bowed. "Kagura." Naraku's voice was sharp, "Take Kagome to her chambers."

Kagura stepped towards the door, motioning for Kagome to follow her. Kagome hesitated. She had to escape. Her gaze swung to the window, the only exit that wasn't blocked. A noise from Naraku caught her attention. He was watching her. She'd never make it to the window in time. Escape would have to wait.

Very slowly, Kagome made her way over to Kagura. Whatever this Yume had done, it had drained most of her strength.

"Wise choice." Naraku commented as she walked across the room, making her all too aware that he had been anticipating her escape plans.

As Kagome followed Kagura out the door, Naraku called out to her. "I hope you find your chambers adequate. You're going to be staying here for a very long time."

Kagome's steps faltered for a moment, but she refused to look at her captor.

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Kagome was silent as she followed Kagura down the dimly lit hall. She tried to piece together what had just happened to her. She remembered the demon, Hideo, by the well. He had fought Inu-Yasha, then kidnapped her.

Inu-Yasha. Was he okay? He had been badly injured during the fight, not to mention the wounds he had suffered beforehand. Could his body survive that kind of abuse?

Tears began to form in her eyes, but Kagome quickly wiped them away. Of course Inu-Yasha was alive. He had suffered worse and survived. He was a survivor. One battle wouldn't stop him. Besides, she thought cynically, if he had died, Naraku would have been oh too happy to tell her about it. No, he was alive. Injured maybe, but alive. And he would come for her.

Kagome's heart felt a leap of hope at that thought, but it was short-lived. Yes, Inu-Yasha would come for her, but he would have to recover before he could do anything. That could take weeks. No, it was up to her to try and escape as quickly as she could. She also needed to figure out what Naraku was plotting.

She ran over the events in Naraku's chamber in her mind. She had been in his mind. Of that she was sure. That burning village wasn't just some image that had been projected into her mind. It had been a memory. Naraku's memory. Somehow, that Yume demon had placed her inside Naraku's head. Why, she didn't yet know, but if she was cautious, maybe she could figure it out. Maybe...

"This is it." Kagura's voice interrupted Kagome's train of thought. The wind demon stood at the entryway of what Kagome assumed must be her "chamber". Prison cell was more likely. Knowing it was inevitable, Kagome stepped into the room. As expected, it was a small room. There were no windows or decoration of any kind, but it appeared clean and devoid of bugs or rats. A futon, the room's lone piece of furniture, was placed along the far wall. She sat down on it, she suddenly felt tired and no longer had the energy to stand. Kagura knelt down on the floor beside her.

"Here." The wind demon placed a candle and holder on the floor. "This should provide you with enough light to see."

Kagome said nothing, just stared dejectedly at the floor.

Kagura observed her for a moment, then she spoke again. "I'll bring you a pitcher and some water shortly."

Kagome nodded, but remained silent.

Kagura tapped her fan against her palm. "It gets cold in here, so I'll bring you some blankets. I doubt your weak human body can stand the chill."

The miko looked over at her, confusion evident in her eyes. "Are you being nice to me?"

Kagura looked away. "Don't be ridiculous." she said, her voice sounding annoyed. "I'm merely making sure that you don't die during the night. Naraku wouldn't be happy if you did." She glanced over at Kagome. "He's got big plans for you, you know."

"I don't suppose you know what those plans are, or that you'd tell me about them."

Kagura's gaze cut to hers. "No. I don't know what they are and I wouldn't tell you if I did."

They were silent for a moment, then Kagura spoke again. "I'm going to fetch you that blanket now. Want me to bring you something to eat while I'm at it?"

Kagome nodded. "Thank you. I'd appreciate it." She smiled at the Kagura. "You are being nice to me. There must be some good in your heart after all."

Kagura laughed at that. It was a harsh sound that drew Kagome's gaze to hers. Kagura stopped laughing and grabbed Kagome's hand. Silently, she drew the girl's hand up to her chest and placed it inside her kimono, atop her left breast. Kagome stared at her in confusion for a moment, then gasped. Kagura smiled and dropped her hand. She rose and exited the room, locking the door behind her.

A shudder ran through Kagome. There was a draft in the room, but it wasn't the cold that made her shiver. Kagura had had no heartbeat. Where her heart should have been, there was a great nothingness instead.

Kagome shuddered again. No, it had been worse than that. She had been able to look into Kagura. She couldn't explain how, she could only guess that it was another aspect of her new powers. What she had seen inside the demon was what caused her to shake. At the center of the nothingness had been one emotion. It was buried deep, so deep that Kagome had hardly been able to sense it at first. She had had to dig through layers of nothingness to find it.

Kagome let out an unsteady breath. Hate. At the center of Kagura's being, hidden under layers nothingness, was an intense and consuming hate.


End file.
